Off the wire
• OPEC continues pumping less oil over past 5 months  • New crime map to be revealed to help police stop stabbings in Britain  • EU backs UK in spy poisoning row with Russia  • 7 criminal groups in Albania busted, 39 handcuffed  • Majority of Germans welcome fourth-time confirmation of Merkel as chancellor: poll  • NATO chief expresses support to Britain over nerve agent attack row  • Britain to expel 23 Russian diplomats over spy poisoning row  • Latvian gov't appoints acting head of revenue service  • No hiding place for poor quality universities under gold standard rating method  • EU, Britain reach deal on Brexit transitional agreement ahead of EU summit  
You are here: 　

Putin has genuine support in Russia: Finnish FM

Xinhua,March 20, 2018 Adjust font size:

HELSINKI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said on Sunday that the voter turnout in Russian presidential election indicates that Vladimir Putin has genuine support in Russia.

Interviewed on national television Yle, Soini said that the 70 percent support for Putin and the voter turnout at around 60 percent denote "a sort of stability" in Russia. "Putin is a leader chosen by the Russians themselves," Soini said.

The foreign minister said he hoped Putin would take "steps for peace" during his fourth term, "so that normal, rule-based international cooperation could be attained again".

Soini did not take a stand on whether some irregularities reported should be taken up with the Russians.

Putin, the incumbent Russian president, was set to win Sunday's presidential election as he got 75.91 percent of the vote after 70 percent of the ballots were counted, preliminary data from the Central Election Commission (CEC) showed. Enditem

 

Related News & Photos